In woodworking and other crafts, it is often desirable to form dovetail joint between two workpieces and/or other structures. The dovetail joint is typically made up of a dovetail pin and a dovetail groove. The dovetail is typically cut with a slight interference so that the joint fits snuggly together to form a locking joint. The dovetail joint is often used in drawer construction. In such embodiments, a series of pins are generally cut into the end of one work piece that fit into a matching set of dovetail grooves cut into a corresponding workpiece. In such applications, the ends of two workpieces are typically joined across their width at their edges to form a 90° joint.
A second less commonly found dovetail joint is the tapered sliding dovetail joint. One place where this type of joint is used is in the construction of cabinets and bookcases, where fixed shelves are joined to the sides of the structure. This type of joint is difficult to prepare, so it is rarely used except by the most skilled and experienced craftsmen. The tapered sliding dovetail joint is typically used to join the face of one workpiece to the end of another workpiece. In this application a dovetail groove is formed in the face of one workpiece. The dovetail groove typically starts on the edge of the workpiece and continues across the width of the workpiece generally terminating short of the opposite edge of the workpiece, so as to not weaken the workpiece. A single matching dovetail pin is formed on the end of the corresponding workpiece. The pin is typically configured to stop short of the edge of the workpiece so that it matches the dovetail groove formed in the face of the other workpiece. The workpieces are joined by inserting the minor end of the pin into open dovetail groove and sliding them together to achieve the desired fit. Generally, it is preferred that the dovetail groove and dovetail pin be tapered evenly through their length to allow the work pieces to be assembled to each other and to allow the proper interference of fit to be achieved to form a locking joint. However, the taper makes it very difficult for the average woodworker to form reliably with conventional tools and ensure that the pieces will fit together without too much force and yet fit snugly together.
Due to the difficulty in forming suitable tapered pins and grooves for use in sliding dovetail joints, it would be desirable to provide devices for easily forming both the tapered sliding dovetail pin and the matching tapered sliding dovetail groove of a tapered sliding dovetail joint. Further, it would be desirable to provide a device that allows one to use conventional tools to accurately taper the pin and/or groove of the workpiece so as to provide a snug fit between the pin and groove. Even further, it would be desirable to provide a sliding dovetail joint with a locking feature that is easy to make and use, and the tool to make such a joint. Further yet, it would be advantageous to provide a pin guide and/or a groove guide that is stand alone in the sense that it need not attached to or otherwise used in conjunction with another piece of equipment, such as a workbench.